Sophie and Shiloh

We were fortunate enough to have Sophie the Wonder Dog come into our lives shortly after we moved to Maryland. We adopted her (or she adopted us, depends on your point of view, really) from a local SPCA. She is a Millenial dog, born on January 1, 2001. While she has the coloring of a German Shepherd, she is clearly mixed with other breeds, most likely Sheltie.

Sophie has a lot of personality. She yodels when she gets excited and groans dramatically whenever she wants a little attention. One of the first thing she learned as a puppy was to ring a bell when she needs to go outside. While she loves chasing squirrels and bunnies as much as the next dog, she is unique in that, on the rare occasion she catches one, she licks it on the head then toddles away. Her version of fetch involves running to the ball, picking it up, then running further away and dropping it, after which she gives the thrower a Significant Look and wanders off to lay in the sunshine.

Her hobbies include eating, napping on the sofa, and tricking people into giving her treats. And barking at her brother.

In the summer of 2010, our family expanded to include Indiana (Indy), Adventure Dog. At that time, he was 7 years old. He’s another Shepherd mix (possibly with a little Beagle), and is a very timid yet happy little guy. We’ll often find him cheerfully playing with a toy in a room by himself, throwing it up in the air then pouncing on it and shaking it. He’s also pretty vocal, and will “talk” when he gets excited. He loves sticks and is the first dog I’ve ever seen try to do reverse crunches while “helping” me exercise. Don’t ever say “walk” to this dog unless you really, really mean it. Edit: We had to say goodbye to Indy, Adventure Dog in November 2011. Miss you, littlest guy.

We welcomed Shiloh, Mischief Dog into the family in April 2012. He’s a 9+ year old shepherd hound mix, and quite handsome. He’s from a local rescue, and spent most of his life chained outside to a doghouse. Despite this, he’s very gentle and waggy and enjoys being around people. He ADORES Sophie dog, photo-bombing and Fisher’s Caramel popcorn, kind of in that order.